Cell phone gurus

lendaddy · 11-13-2013, 07:00 PM

I have the unlimited data plan (grandfathered in) with Verizon and have an old HTC Thunderbolt. My wife is also on this plan with an Iphone4.

I use a fair amount on data as I use mine as a hotspot for my laptop at work. My wife does not use much data at all.

I do not want to upgrade my phone through Verizon as they will force me out of my Unlimited plan and into a defined use data plan.

Can I have my wife upgrade to a new Galaxy S4 then simply stay with her iPhone while I slip my SIM card into the new S4? Thx

Halm · 11-14-2013, 04:11 AM

I am not a CDMA (Verizon) expert, but I am pretty sure the SIM card is only for data. GSM carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile) put all identification including phone number on the SIM.

Have you looked at porting your number over to Straight Talk? They are just bandwidth resellers and you would still be on the Verizon network with unlimited data.

stomachmonkey · 11-14-2013, 04:31 AM

Verizon, CDMA, phones don't have a SIM.

SIM cards / slots on Verizon devices were for international travellers so they could buy a card and use their devices in GSM countries.

Halm · 11-14-2013, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Verizon, CDMA, phones don't have a SIM.

SIM cards / slots on Verizon devices were for international travellers so they could buy a card and use their devices in GSM countries.

Learn me up, if you please. . . Why does my Verizon MiFi hotspot work with a SIM card?

Thanks.

stomachmonkey · 11-14-2013, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halm

Learn me up, if you please. . . Why does my Verizon MiFi hotspot work with a SIM card?

Thanks.

Verizons LTE network does use a Verizon specific SIM for 4G data and falls back to CDMA for 3G data.

So for Lendaddy that would be problematic because the phone that he wants to use would be subsidized and if it drops into 3G due to lack of 4G coverage he technically violates his contract and losses his unlimited plan.

As I understand it there are two ways to upgrade with Verizon, subsidized phone ='s new plan. Buy the phone outright at full retail ='s keep your current plan.

But I would call Verizon and verify that, then call back and verify with another rep just to be sure.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Don't get too hung up on the "unlimited" data plan. I can almost guarantee you it isn't really unlimited.

Straight Talk (which I use with my iPhone 4S and am quite happy with) advertises themselves as offering an "unlimited" text/voice/data plan. In reality the data is capped at 2.5 GB per month. They do not advertise this or state this anywhere but a simple web search will uncover testimonials from lots of people that got "throttled" once they hit this usage level in a given month (which is possible). If you exceed it they'll throttle you to painfully slow data transfer speeds.

I strongly suspect most other carriers' "unlimited" data plans (including the legacy plans like yours) are the same way and have some exception clause built into them or there's simply a secret, undisclosed policy to throttle people back once they hit some established cap without telling them. Either that or they'll just shut you off and then accuse you of performing unauthorized tethering (happened to a co-worker). In that situation he had no rights, recourse or appeal. The provider held all the cards and he ended up having to eat it. I think they actually went after him for the balance of his contract too - I'll see if I can find out. That's life now - corporations come first, everyone else second.

Personally I'd junk the Verizon (CDMA) phones and get GSM-based (SIM) devices and use ST, Net10 or some other prepay carrier, then live happily ever after.

gacook · gacook's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Don't get too hung up on the "unlimited" data plan. I can almost guarantee you it isn't really unlimited.

Straight Talk (which I use with my iPhone 4S and am quite happy with) advertises themselves as offering an "unlimited" text/voice/data plan. In reality the data is capped at 2.5 GB per month. They do not advertise this or state this anywhere but a simple web search will uncover testimonials from lots of people that got "throttled" once they hit this usage level in a given month (which is possible). If you exceed it they'll throttle you to painfully slow data transfer speeds.

I strongly suspect most other carriers' "unlimited" data plans (including the legacy plans like yours) are the same way and have some exception clause built into them or there's simply a secret, undisclosed policy to throttle people back once they hit some established cap without telling them. Either that or they'll just shut you off and then accuse you of performing unauthorized tethering (happened to a co-worker). In that situation he had no rights, recourse or appeal. The provider held all the cards and he ended up having to eat it. I think they actually went after him for the balance of his contract too - I'll see if I can find out. That's life now - corporations come first, everyone else second.

Personally I'd junk the Verizon (CDMA) phones and get GSM-based (SIM) devices and use ST, Net10 or some other prepay carrier, then live happily ever after.

Made the switch to Straight Talk myself a couple months ago. Porting over my phone numbers as contracts expire; so far 2 are gone, and 2 remain on Verizon. I'm saving $60/month so far, and will end up saving over $130/month once all phones are transferred over. Verizon calls me on an almost daily basis trying to get my business back (I was with them 10+ years). But the best they could do was about a $40 savings over my current plan with them, so I told them no thanks. I really think prepaid is the way to go.

dennis in se pa · dennis in se pa's Garage

I am with Straight Talk and very happy. My Galaxy SII is on ATT network. Might be different where you are. I recommend these guys.

gtc · gtc's Garage

I just went through this with Verizon, after a long period of wondering how to avoid losing my unlimited plan.

If you buy a phone from a 3rd party and bring it to a Verizon store, they will activate it without changing your plan.
In my case, I even went from a 3G Droid to a 4G LTE Windows Phone.

Switching phones and then switching back would not be a problem, but I doubt they would let her upgrade without a new plan.

It looks like you can buy an S4 in good shape on craigslist for ~$200.

In my case, losing my unlimited plan would have cost me an extra $30/month, so the $180 phone was easily justified. Even considering the $200 upgrade subsidy that I can't use, I'm still ahead in the long run, as long as I keep my phone for a year or more.

One more note... if you tether, stick with an Android phone, as windows phones won't let you tether on Verizon without a specific plan, and there don't seem to be any apps for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lendaddy

I have the unlimited data plan (grandfathered in) with Verizon and have an old HTC Thunderbolt. My wife is also on this plan with an Iphone4.

I use a fair amount on data as I use mine as a hotspot for my laptop at work. My wife does not use much data at all.

I do not want to upgrade my phone through Verizon as they will force me out of my Unlimited plan and into a defined use data plan.

Can I have my wife upgrade to a new Galaxy S4 then simply stay with her iPhone while I slip my SIM card into the new S4? Thx

lendaddy · 11-14-2013, 09:33 AM

Great info guys, seems to confirm what I had heard. S4s around here are selling for $400-$500 on craigslist so that's a tough pill to swallow.

I will look into this straight talk thing though as well, sounds interesting.

And POP, I think Verizon is throttling my data as well but I can't say for sure. Word is they only throttle 3g but I'm almost always on 4g and it sure seems like it used to be a LOT faster.